Mayor Collins gives first State of the City address

HELENA – After being sworn in earlier this month, Helena Mayor Wilmot Collins gave his first State of the City address Monday night at the weekly city commission meeting.

Collins highlighted the successes and goals of various city departments, like Parks and Recreation and Administrative Services. Collins said Parks and Recreation did a good job of peacefully removing Helena’s confederate monument in August, and Administrative Services kept a balanced budget.

Looking to the future, Mayor Collins highlighted work on a new downtown zoning code in development by Community Development. Collins also called for affordable housing, echoing his platform while campaigning for mayor. He is also hopeful for more advanced parking meters, where you can pay with a cellphone.

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Wilmot Collins said, “this beautiful city is governed by a diverse and hard-working city commission.”

Mayor Collins, in his first State of the City address, recognized new city employees and thanked his predecessors, including Mayor Jim Smith and former commissioner Dan Ellison for the work they’ve done. Collins said, “this city was managed well.”

Collins also had good things to say about other departments, like the City Attorney, Community Development, the Parking Commission, IT, and Capital Transit. Collins said, “it is very important that we recognize the day-to-day work of the city, and not take it for granted.”

But Monday’s address was about a lot more than just the past. Collins said, “we must recognize the great deal of work that is ahead of us.”

Mayor Collins set lots of goals to be sure; goals that seemed to strike a chord. He ended his speech saying “I thank you and I look forward to working with you in the years to come.”

Jacob Fuhrer joined KTVH in April of 2017 after graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and minor in Business from the University of Portland in Oregon. Growing up in Portland, Jacob cultivated his passion for journalism after watching and visiting the local TV stations in Portland as a child.